Modular stacking equipment rack

ABSTRACT

A system for storing equipment in a rack is disclosed. The system comprises a U-shaped enclosure having two opposing side surfaces perpendicularly coupled to a bottom surface, and an attachment element for detachably coupling the U-shaped enclosure to at least one other U-shaped enclosure to form a plurality of configurations, such that an electronic component storage rack can be constructed incrementally.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to equipment storage management, and more particularly to a modular stacking rack for storing electronic equipment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Electronic components, such as power supplies, memory units and servers, are often stored in equipment racks. One rack usually has several shelves and holds a plurality of components stacked vertically. In general, equipment racks are produced in standard sizes, such as “head high” racks, which are approximately six feet in height, or “half high” racks, which are approximately waist high in height. Electronic components come in various sizes. For instance, the height of a component can range from “1U” to several “U's”, a “U” being a unit of measure equal to 1.75 inches. Thus, a typical six foot rack could store thirteen 3U components.

[0003] A company with several hundred components could purchase a plurality of racks, and fill those racks accordingly. Nonetheless, it is inevitable that some, if not all, of the racks will be partially empty. For instance, the combined height of a group of components may be significantly less than the height of the rack, but adding another component would exceed the space allotted, or the number of components simply does not fill the rack. Shuffling or rearranging components between racks after they have been stored is tedious and time consuming because the components would have to be shut down, disconnected from other components, moved and reconnected. The down time alone could have a significant adverse effect on the company. Thus, a company would probably avoid such measures and keep the space in the racks empty.

[0004] Rack space is wasted because the sizes of the racks are standardized and not flexible. A company has no choice but to purchase a higher number of racks then would be required if the rack size was flexible. Given the cost of each rack and the floor space that each one occupies, this wasted rack space can amount to substantial monetary expenditures, as well as, inefficient use of floor space. A costly alternative would be to have custom made racks. Nevertheless, this is not a feasible alternative because a company often adds components as it grows. In other words, the number of components at one point in time will not necessary remain the same number as the company expands or contracts.

[0005] Accordingly, a need exists for a more efficient system for storing equipment in a rack. The system should offer flexible storage capacity and should be highly reliable and cost effective. The present invention fulfills this need and provides related advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] A system for storing equipment in a rack is disclosed. The system comprises a U-shaped enclosure having two opposing side surfaces perpendicularly coupled to a bottom surface, and an attachment element for detachably coupling the U-shaped enclosure to at least one other U-shaped enclosure to form a plurality of configurations, such that an electronic component storage rack can be constructed incrementally.

[0007] Through the aspects of the present invention, the component storage rack's height is flexible and will vary with the number of components stored. Thus, instead of buying a standard six foot high rack, which will necessarily remain partially empty, the user can buy modular segments of a rack and stack them according to the actual number of components stored. If floor space is limited, the user can stack the components to the ceiling if desired. In addition, because each enclosure is coupled to another, each enclosure can be relocated by decoupling it from its surrounding enclosure(s). Thus, moving a component(s) stored in an enclosure is less burdensome. The present invention is reliable, and relatively easy to implement given the current related technology.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008]FIG. 1 illustrates one U-shaped enclosure in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0009]FIG. 1A illustrates a U-shaped enclosure in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0010]FIG. 2 illustrates a modular stacking rack where the enclosures are stacked top to bottom in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0011]FIG. 3 illustrates a modular stacking rack where the enclosures are stacked top to top in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0012]FIG. 4 is illustrates one U-shaped enclosure in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0013]FIG. 5 is illustrates a completed modular stacking rack with bezels and a cover top attached in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] The present invention relates to equipment storage management, and more particularly to a modular stacking rack for storing electronic equipment. The following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention and is provided in the context of a patent application and its requirements. Various modifications to the preferred embodiment and the generic principles and features described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. For instance, although four enclosures are illustrated in the preferred embodiment, it is clear that any number of enclosures or even only one enclosure could be utilized. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiment shown but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein.

[0015] In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an equipment rack is constructed incrementally using modular U-shaped enclosures. Each enclosure is adapted to couple to another enclosure either top-to-bottom, or top-to-top. Thus, if two enclosures are coupled top-to-bottom, two separate housings could accommodate components, while if the two enclosures are coupled top-to-top, a group of stacked components, or one tall component, can be stored. If the U-shaped enclosures are 3Us in height, for example, the maximum height of the opening formed by coupling two enclosures top-to-top is 6Us, and any combination of components up to a collective height of 6Us can be accommodated.

[0016]FIG. 1 illustrates one U-shaped enclosure in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As is shown, two side panels 110 are coupled perpendicularly to a bottom panel 120 to form the U-shaped enclosure 100. The enclosure 100 has a front 100 a and a back 100 b. To facilitate coupling with other U-shaped enclosures (not shown), a plurality of studs 130 are coupled to the top of the two side panels 110, which protrude in a direction perpendicular to the bottom panel 120. A front pair of studs 130 a are located a distance X from the front 100 a of the enclosure 100, while a back pair of studs 130 b are located a distance Y from the back 100 b of the enclosure 100. The distance X is not equal to the distance Y.

[0017] The bottom panel 120 includes a set of receiving holes 140 corresponding to the locations of the studs 130. Thus, the bottom panel 120 has a pair of front receiving holes 140 a located the distance X from the front 100 a of the enclosure 100 and directly in line with the front pair of studs 130 a, and a pair of back receiving holes 140 b located the distance Y from the back 100 b of the enclosure 100 and directly in line with the back pair of studs 130 b. Thus, when stacking a plurality of U-shaped enclosures 100 top-to-bottom, as shown in FIG. 2, the studs 130 pass through the set of receiving holes 140, and the U-shaped enclosures 100 form a modular stacking rack 200 having a plurality of separators 210, which define the housings for storing equipment (not shown). While the height of each U-shaped enclosure 100 is largely a design choice, preferably, the side panels 110 of each enclosure 100 are 3Us high, so that any component having a size between 1U and 3Us would fit within the space formed by the enclosure 100.

[0018] If, however, the component is larger than 3Us, for instance, if the component is 5Us high, the component will not fit in the modular stacking rack 200 illustrated in FIG. 2. Nevertheless, in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the enclosures 100 can be coupled top-to-top, such that the enclosure height is double the height of the side panels 110, i.e. 6Us if the side panels 110 are 3U high, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0019] To understand how the enclosures 100 are adapted to form this configuration, please refer back to FIG. 1. In addition to the studs 130, the two side panels also include a front pair of receiving slots 135 a and a back pair of receiving slots 135 b on the top of the side panels 110. The front pair of receiving slots 135 a are located the distance Y from the front 100 a of the enclosure 100, while the back pair of receiving slots 135 b are located the distance X from the back 100 b of the enclosure 100.

[0020] Referring back to FIG. 3, a first enclosure 310 and a second enclosure 320 are coupled top-to-top. By aligning the front 100 a of the first enclosure 310 with the back 100 b of the second enclosure 320, the front pair of studs 130 a of the first enclosure 310 pass through the back pair of receiving slots 135 b of the second enclosure 320 because both are located the distance X from the nearest edge. The back pair of studs 130 b of the first enclosure 310 pass through the front pair of receiving slots 135 a of the second enclosure 320 because both are located the distance Y from the nearest edge. The inverse is true for the studs 130 of the second enclosure 320 and receiving slots 135 of the first enclosure 310. Thus, the first enclosure 310 and the second enclosure 320 are interconnected via the studs 130 and receiving slots 135.

[0021] In another embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 1A, a front stud 130 e and a back stud 130 f of a first side panel 110 a are located a distance X′ from the front 100 a and back 100 b, respectively, of the enclosure 100′. Similarly, a front stud 130 c and a back stud 130 d of a second side panel 110 b are located a distance Y′ from the front 100 a and back 100 b, respectively. The receiving slots 135 e, 135 f in the first side panel 110 a are located the distance Y′ from the front 100 a and back 100 b, respectively, of the enclosure 100′, while the receiving slots 135 c, 135 d in the second side panel 110 b are located the distance X′ from the front 100 a and back 100 b, respectively.

[0022] Two enclosures 100′, as described in FIG. 1A, are coupled top-to-top by aligning the top of the first side panel 110 a of a first enclosure 100′ with the top of the second side panel 110 b of a second enclosure 100′. The studs 130 e, 130 f of the first enclosure's first side panel 110 a pass through the receiving slots 135 c, 135 d of the second enclosure's 100′ second side panel 110 b because both are located the distance X′ from the nearest edge. In a similar manner, the first enclosure's studs 130 c, 130 d in the second side panel 110 b pass through the second enclosure's receiving slots 135 e, 135 f in the first side panel 110 a. Thus, the configuration illustrated in FIG. 3 is achieved.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, additional enclosures 340, 350 can be coupled to the second enclosure 320 to form an additional separator 360 for storing another component (not shown) or group of components (not shown). Naturally, a combination of FIGS. 2 and 3 (not shown) could create a modular stacking rack having space for up to 6U high components (FIG. 3), as well as components 3U or less (FIG. 2). In addition, more than two pairs of studs 130 can be used to couple the enclosures 100 top-to-top or top-to-bottom, so long as the corresponding receiving slots 135 are disposed appropriately to receive the studs 130 in a top-to-top configuration, and the bottom panel 120 has the appropriate receiving holes 140 in a top-to-bottom configuration.

[0024] In another preferred embodiment, the studs 130 are threaded so that the enclosures 100 can be bolted together by nuts 195, as shown in FIG. 4. Other features of the present invention are illustrated in FIG. 4. The bottom panel 120 includes a plurality of cable port openings 180 through which connecting cables (not shown) between components can be passed. Rolling casters 170 can be coupled to the bottom of the bottommost enclosure 100 to provide mobility. To improve the aesthetic appearance of the rack, a cover plate 150 can be coupled to the back 100 b of the enclosure 100, and a bezel 160 can be attached to the front 100 a of the enclosure 100. The top of the completed modular stacking rack, e.g. stack rack 200, can be covered by a top cover 190. FIG. 5 illustrates a modular stacking rack 500 in accordance with the present invention with bezels 160 and the top cover 190 attached.

[0025] By utilizing the present invention, a modular stacking equipment rack can be built according to a customer's specific storage needs. By building a rack enclosure by enclosure, the customer can buy the space it needs and optimize storage capacity in the rack. The present invention is ideal for an expanding company, which may start with only a few components but grow to acquire more and more components. The flexibility and scalability of the modular stacking equipment rack of the present invention satisfies those needs, as well as others.

[0026] For instance, because the rack is modular, the task of relocating a component is simplified. Instead of physically removing the component from its shelf in the rack, which would probably entail shutting down the component, the enclosure holding the component can be decoupled from its surrounding enclosure(s) and moved to another location or stack. In some circumstances, the component can remain on while the enclosure is moved.

[0027] Although the present invention has been described in accordance with the embodiments shown, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that there could be variations to the embodiments and those variations would be within the spirit and scope of the present invention. For instance, the enclosures could be coupled using another method equivalent to that described above, or the height of the side panels can vary depending on the customer's needs. Accordingly, many modifications may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An system for storing at least one electronic component comprising: a U-shaped enclosure having two opposing side panels perpendicularly coupled to a bottom panel, and an attachment element for detachably coupling the U-shaped enclosure to at least one other U-shaped enclosure to form a plurality of configurations, such that an electronic component storage rack can be constructed incrementally.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the U-shaped enclosure and the at least one other U-shaped enclosure are coupled top-to-top to form one housing the one housing capable of storing at least one tall electronic component.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the U-shaped enclosure and the at least one other U-shaped enclosure are coupled top-to-bottom to form two housings, the two housings capable of holding standard sized electronic components.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the U-shaped enclosure further comprising a cover plate coupled perpendicularly to both the two side panels and the bottom panel for covering a back opening of the U-shaped enclosure.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the U-shaped enclosure further comprising a bezel plate coupled perpendicularly to both the two side panels and the bottom panel for covering a front opening of the U-shaped enclosure.
 6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of rolling casters coupled to the bottom panel of a first U-shaped enclosure, the first U-shaped enclosure disposed closest to a supporting surface.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the bottom panel of the U-shaped enclosure includes a plurality of cable ports for allowing the passage of cables between the first enclosure and the at least one other enclosure.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the attachment element comprises a plurality of threaded studs and a corresponding plurality of nuts for bolting the U-shaped enclosure and the at least one other U-shaped enclosure together.
 9. A modular equipment rack for storing electronic components comprising: a U-shaped enclosure having two opposing side panels coupled to a bottom panel; and a plurality of threaded studs coupled to the top of the two opposing side panels for detachably coupling the U-shaped enclosure to at least one other U-shaped enclosure either top-to-bottom, or top-to-top.
 10. The rack of claim 9, wherein the bottom panel of the U-shaped enclosure includes a plurality of receiving holes corresponding to the plurality of threaded studs.
 11. The rack of claim 10, wherein the plurality of receiving holes are positioned to receive the plurality of threaded studs of the at least one other U-shaped enclosure, such that if the bottom panel of a first U-shaped enclosure is placed on the two side panels of a second U-shaped enclosure, the plurality of threaded studs on the two side panels of the second enclosure pass through the corresponding plurality of receiving holes of the first enclosure.
 12. The rack of claim 11, wherein the first enclosure and the second enclosure are bolted together with a plurality of nuts screwed onto the plurality of threaded studs of the second enclosure.
 13. The rack of claim 10, wherein the U-shaped enclosure includes a front and aback, and wherein on each of the two side panels, a first threaded stud is disposed a first distance from the front of the enclosure, and a second threaded stud is disposed a second distance from the back of the enclosure, wherein the second distance is not the same as the first distance.
 14. The rack of claim 13, wherein each of the two side panels further includes a front receiving slot disposed a distance from the front of the enclosure equal to the second distance, and a back receiving slot, the back receiving slot being disposed a distance from the back of the enclosure equal to the first distance.
 15. The rack of claim 14, wherein the threaded studs of a first enclosure and the threaded studs of a second enclosures pass through the receiving slots of the second enclosure and the receiving slots of the first enclosure, respectively when the first U-shaped enclosure and the second U-shaped enclosure are coupled top-to-top.
 16. The rack of claim 15, wherein the first enclosure and the second enclosure are bolted together with a plurality of nuts screwed onto the plurality of threaded studs of the first enclosure and the second enclosure.
 17. The rack of claim 10, wherein the U-shaped enclosure includes a front and a back, and wherein on one of the two side panels, a first threaded stud is disposed a first distance from the front of the enclosure, a second threaded stud is disposed the first distance from the back of the enclosure, a first receiving slot is disposed a second distance from the front, and a second receiving slot is disposed a second distance from the back of the enclosure.
 18. The rack of claim 17, wherein on the other of the two side panels, a first threaded stud is disposed the second distance from the front of the enclosure, a second threaded stud is disposed the second distance from the back of the enclosure, a first receiving slot is disposed the first distance from the front, and a second receiving slot is disposed the first distance from the back of the enclosure.
 19. The rack of claim 18, wherein the threaded studs of a first enclosure and the threaded studs of a second enclosure pass through the receiving slots of the second enclosure and the receiving slots of the first enclosure, respectively when the first U-shaped enclosure and the second U-shaped enclosure are coupled top-to-top.
 20. The rack of claim 19, wherein the first enclosure and the second enclosure are bolted together with a plurality of nuts screwed onto the plurality of threaded studs of the first enclosure and the second enclosure.
 21. A method for building a modular equipment rack for storing electronic components comprising the steps of: a) providing a U-shaped enclosure having two opposing side panels coupled to a bottom panel, the U-shaped enclosure having a front and a back; b) attaching a plurality of threaded studs to the top of the two opposing side panels; and c) detachably coupling the U-shaped enclosure to at least one other U-shaped enclosure either top-to-bottom, or top-to-top via the plurality of threaded studs.
 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the bottom panel of the U-shaped enclosure includes a plurality of receiving holes corresponding to the plurality of threaded studs.
 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the attaching step (b) further comprising the step of: b1) on each of the two side panels, coupling a first threaded stud disposed a first distance from the front of the enclosure, and coupling a second threaded stud disposed a second distance from the back of the enclosure, wherein the second distance is not the same as the first distance.
 24. The method of claim 23, wherein each of the side panels further includes a front receiving slot disposed a distance from the front of the enclosure equal to the second distance, and a back receiving slot, the back receiving slot being disposed a distance from the back of the enclosure equal to the first distance.
 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the coupling step (c) further includes the steps of: c1) aligning the plurality of receiving holes on the bottom panel of a first U-shaped enclosure with the plurality of threaded studs of a second U-shaped enclosure; c2) stacking the bottom panel of the first U-shaped enclosure on top of the two side panels of the second U-shaped enclosure so that the threaded studs of the second enclosure pass through the receiving holes of the first enclosure; and c3) bolting together the first enclosure and the second enclosure by screwing a plurality of nuts onto the plurality of threaded studs of the second enclosure.
 26. The method of claim 24, wherein the coupling step (c) further comprising the steps of: c1) aligning the first threaded stud of each side panel of a first U-shaped enclosure over the back receiving slot of each side panel of a second U-shaped enclosure, thereby aligning the second threaded stud of each side panel of the first enclosure over the front receiving slot of each side panel of the second enclosure; c2) stacking the two side panels of the first U-shaped enclosure on top of the two side panels of the second U-shaped enclosure so that the threaded studs of the first enclosure and the threaded studs of the second enclosures pass through the receiving slots of the second enclosure and the receiving slots of the first enclosure, respectively; and c3) bolting together the first enclosure and the second enclosure by screwing a plurality of nuts onto the plurality of threaded studs of the first and second enclosures.
 27. The method of claim 22, wherein the coupling step (c) further includes coupling the U-shaped enclosure to the at least one other U-shaped enclosure bottom-to-bottom via the plurality of receiving holes.
 28. The method of claim 24 further comprising the step of: d) repeating step c) until the modular equipment rack is completed. 